hawkins



A. W. HAWKINS.

CAR LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED .IULY I4' 19.

1,3 1 1,348. Patented July 29, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. W. HAWKINS.

CAR LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I4, 19!?- 1 ,3 1 1,348. Patented July 29, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

" form;

UNITED STATES r 'r N'r ()EFICE.

ARTHUR W. HAWKINS, or CHICAGO, ILLINoIs, A'ss'IGnon TO CHICA O RAILWAY EQUIPMENT COMPANY, or GHIGAJGO, ILLINOIS,ACORPORATIQNDIE ILLINOIS.

aim-LA ER." 7

Application filed July 14, 1917. i? Seria1No. 180',6 00.

T 0 all whom-2'25 may concern I 7 Be it known that I, ARTHURW. HAWKINS,

a citizen of-the UnitedStates, residing at the city of Chioago,'coun'ty of Cook,'State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Car-Ladders, of which the following is afu ll, clear, and'exact descriptionys'uch as will enable others skilled in the arttto' which it-appertains to make and use'the: same, reference being had to the accompanying: drawings, forming part ofthis specification"; v

This invention" relates my ladder cor-b *struction, and pertains particularly to a form of ladder: designedfor use on railway cars. :c-

The" several objects o f'my invention include the provision of a ladder which may be fabricated and assembledv'ery economically, due both to the interchangeability of its various parts and the'natureof its "construction and the provision "of a ladder" in j which the'rungs are'held securely in'the stiles in such" fashion as to prevent their turningxor working out,'-the con'struotionat the same time being? such as to permit the removal individually ofany rung which may become bent or broken in use, orof the-stiles individually. r 30 Other objects of my inventionwill be-obvious or pointed-out hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsin which- Figure 1 represents a partial end' elevation of a box car showing a ladder in front elevation and another ladder'in sideelevation the forml o-f the stile members and the manner "of attachment thereof'tothe Car; H

Fig. 3 is a detail showing the same parts in front elevation;

Fig. 4 is a detail illustrating a transverse section through the stile members;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a modified Fig. 6 is a section of the'sametaken on Fig. 7 is a perspective illustratinga detail of another modified form;

Fig. 8 is a perspective illustrating ia'detail of a third modified form. i 1

Referring to theillustrations bymeans of the reference'numerals applied, let it beun Specification of Letters l atent.

l Patented July 29., 1 919.

derstood thatthe'numeral 1 design-ates the stile members of the 'ladder' which-may be "in" the formr of angle e bars having portions ofl'setas at T to provide 'attaching brackets.

Theseistile members are arrangedto be at--' tached to the supporting Wall by meansof suitablefastenings '2 seated: in said-brackets, and by "means: of"fa'stenin'gs- 5 1 passing through spacers} 4' disposed intermediate the brackets. This means of forming a mount- 5 ing supports the stile members spaced a art 1 from the supporting wall," one flange" 0 the angle bar'of which they are comprisedex- -tending substantially parallel with the wall, and the other extending substantially perpendicularly thereto.

' 1 the outstanding .or perpendicular flange are punched slots or 'aper-tlires-for the re- At proper 1 intervals ception of: the rungs 6; The latterrare in the'form .of'bars or rods formed'witha head 6*" at oneiend and with aztransverse aperture" adjacent' the other *exitremity :6".

"If desired, portions of' the material" adjacent thegex-tremiti'esof the -"rung's niay be flattened orsp'read' into angular form,'"as

in the fashion illustrated'in Figsi. ":In the evento'f the rungs'being "thus formed, the apertures in'theistilesw-ill', of course-be of suitableangular" form to receive the flattened 'po-rti'ons."'-"

The rungs are inserted in the apertures in the stiles, the-heads of the -rungs coming up against the outstanding flange of one ofthe --stiles, and the apertured extremities of the rungs projecting "through the slots in the other stile. "Asitiis 'conteinplated that the slots in the stilesshall =be inalinementlongitudinally thereof, it will beseen that-the apertures 6 the extremitiesof the rungs will'be disposed in aline'ment',-in which position theywill receive the retaining rods 7 Each of these retaining rods is designed to be inserted through the aperturesfi of a plurality of rung members, said; retaining rods being heldagainst removal therefrom by any'suita'ble device -8.'- The retaining rods, being comparatively-slender, necessarily will have the requisite amount of-flekibilityto 'permit' their being accommodated to any slight irregularities in? the alinement of the apertures fi f f With the parts thus assemabledrit will be ob served wthatyeach of the rungs is maintained against rotation by th'eassociated retaming; rod, which; latter is'jitself held'j'in proper alinement by virtue of its connecv'idual assembly of the rung members, they tion with a plura'lity of therungs. In the also facilitate the individual removability even-t therung sf are of flattened'form,jthey ofthje stileniembers, andthus j contribute are further" retained against rotation by further to e'co'nomy'in the"'asse1nb-ling and 5 virtue of their engagement with therstiles, -,rep airing of the device.

WVhile the rungs are thus securely retained" While I have called attention above to the in position and .held against rotation, any desirability of the retaining members 7 havof them are quickly and'readily removable ingengagement with a plurality "of rung without requiring they detachment of the v mem'bers fonpreventing the rotation of the 10 stiles, as the removal of the fastening 8 and latter when they are not formed with anretaining rod 7 leavestherungsfree to'be gular portions forengaging thestiles, it'is i-removedl individually. -WVhenzth'e'. retaining -Jobvious that, -when the rung-members are -rod.7 1=is=i-11 place,-itJ'lieswsnug. against the diormedwith the angular stile engaging poroutstandingfifiange :dfthe associated-stile, i:tions, they willbe eiiectively=held against =.15-in which'positionitisrproitected fromflinrotatiomand they may beretained against jury. I I longitudinaldisplacement by individual re- :Torfac'ilitate assembly and removal oftthe wailing member'sfi, Y

a yI P-P T le-brackets 9 ini the :The ladderstructure thus formed is very u-form of castings-o1'a-forgings arranged to economical tomanuzt'acture and toinstall,

v20-bei boltednor :otherwisesuitab-ly securedto the; several -partsare-interchangeable,- andthe-supporting: structure. I'Ihese brackets 11 injured portions-maybe removed and re- -may -b.e. -d-isposed in rows; the-rows being placed without requiring theremoval of the spaced apart the proper distaiicezto' accom- 'lttClClBIII'OD'l the supporting Jwall:

modate the width-ofthe latter, and the indi- -I am aware *thatun-y invention may be 25 vidualbracketsin-respective rows being-disembodied in formsvotlieri than" the specific -,.posed zopposi-te one another; Thesebrackembodiment illustrated and described, and etsflhave: outwardly extending portions 9 it is myinten'tion that the-appended claims wdispose'd counterfacing and formed with comprehend-all'such.modifications.-

.apertures suchas are adapted'toreceive the iWhgfl', I l imi 30 -extremitieswoit' rung 'members' 6. rsSo'me 'of liA'ladder'strueture includinga bracket the: brackets on each :side: are apertured z nemben- 'arstile member and a rungi member .to permit'ipassageof the rtmgs 'therethrough, :removalbly associated: with sa-i'dbracket and and others o'f the brac-ket'sron: each side are "stile: members torretain. them .:in-assenibled .permittedto-receiveonly the-flattened or derelationship, and-*means forrholding said 35 formed extremities of therungS. The'stiles :rung member in poSitiOmisaid means being' are similarly 1apferturedi :a-t then'poi ntsz where removable so as tohpermit the rung: member they are td-be'.associated'with therespective to be removed to enable the dismantling'of rtormsrof brackets. iAccordingly, when the -thestiles;

"stiles-are"disposed-11in;association-with the 2. In a ladder structure, spaced-support- -40 brackets, rungs may be passedrthrou-gh both ing bracketsprovided-with apertures,- stile- Tithe oppositely .fdi'sposedibrackets and-the members arranged-adj acent'to Isaid supports "stilesythe head of a rung-coming up against and-provided'wvith apertures whichcoincide the extensio-n. 9 :of:. arbracketon one side and with the apertures in the brackets, and .a the-other extremity of the rung being se- -=ru-ng member seated in theapertures of said 45 cured by a removablefastening-member such llarackets and stile memberssfor holding the as the rod or the bolt or cotter pin 7 "In same in assemble-d: relation; Figs-5, 6, and I. showiithe stiles thus 3. In a ladder structure, spaced supportmounted-i'n the form of flat -strips,.while' in -ing;brackets provided with aperturesfstile Fig; 8-Ishowwastile in the form'ofan' angle Y-members arranged adjacentto said supports 50 member, a part beingdeflected' at l 'to faand provided with apertures adapted ,to"

cilitate the alinementofa laterally deflected coincide with the apertures in the brackets, portion 1 with the'extremitiesof therung :certain of which apertures are angular,land membersfi. It is obvious,':however, that the a rung member seated in thB-HPGIUHBS in stiles may be man of a variety otfo-rms said brackets, and stile members for holding 55 other than afiat stripor a simple angle. the same-in assembled relation, portions of "In the forms illustrated in Figs. '7 -'a1id-8, said rung members fitting theangular aperthe uppermost and lowermo'st" brackets 9 are 'tures so as to prevent the rotation of said 'aperturedto accommodatethe-laterally derungniemloers.

ffiecte d portions of -thestilemembers, thus 4. In a ladder structure, spacedvsupport- "60providing a'mounting for them, in which dug-brackets provided with apertures, stile mounting they are secured bya'retaining members arranged adjacent to said-supports n e'mber 'i or '7: e andprovided withiapertures adapted to co- -With respect'toflthe formsillustrated in incide With the apertures in'the brackets,

Figs. 5 'to 8 inclusive, itis to be observed 'i-rung .mem-bers seated in the apertures in 65-that in add-ition'to providing for the-indi- :said brackets, and; stilexmembers for. holding the same'in assembled relation, arid rung members positioned upon said stile members between the rungs that are seated in the brackets. V

5. In a ladder structure, spaced supporting brackets provided with apertures adapted to coincide with the apertures in the brackets, a rung member seatedfin the apertures in said brackets, and stile 'mem- 10 bers for holding the same in assembled relation, and means for preventing the Withdrawal of the rung members from said brackets and stile members.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature, this 6th day of July, 1917.

ARTHUR W. HAWKINS.

Witnesses:

E. T. WALKER, F. T. PHELPS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained forflve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

